Chocolate is an extremely popular and versatile food product which is characterized by a smooth, creamy consistency upon mastication. Chocolate derives its desirable eating qualities largely from the melting properties of cocoa butter which is typically present in chocolate at about 32% by weight. The melting behavior of cocoa butter is the result of its unique triglyceride composition. However, this unique triglyceride composition, like the triglyceride composition of other natural fats, is relatively high in calories. Approximately 50% of the calories in chocolate products come from fat which is exclusively or predominantly cocoa butter. This means that persons who must restrict their intake of calories must either reduce the amount of chocolate products they consume, or in the extreme case, completely exclude such products from their diet.
Low calorie cocoa butter substitutes which have physical properties similar to cocoa butter have been developed. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,288,512; Issued Feb. 22, 1994 to Seiden and Wheeler et al; U.S. Pat. No. 5,258,197; Issued Nov. 2, 1993. Chocolate confectionery compositions containing these low calorie cocoa butter substitutes are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,888,196 and 5,023,106 to Ehrman et al; Issued on Dec. 19, 1989 and Jun. 11, 1991, respectively and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,275,835; Issued Jan. 4, 1994 to Masterson et al.
Unfortunately, moulded chocolate confections prepared according to the processes taught by these references require prolonged storage in the moulds, ranging from six hours to six days. This extensive in-mould time greatly increases the process costs for these low calorie chocolate confectionery products. Accordingly, it would be desirable to be able to prepare moulded chocolate confectionery products which contain low calorie cocoa butter substitutes, but which require shorter in-mould storage periods.
It has now been found that the in-mould storage time of chocolate confectionery products containing low calorie cocoa butter substitutes can be reduced to less than about 15 minutes when the chocolate confections are prepared according to the process of the present invention. Chocolate confections prepared according to this process will have acceptable gloss and will have organoleptic properties par with chocolate confections prepared by prior processes.